sports camp in the afternoons in addition to morning learn-to-sail camps, introducing kids to a spectrum of water activities like stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, as well as sailing. The learn-to-sail programs at MPYC and SYC teach youth how to rig the boat, trim the sails, respect for the sea and seamanship skills. After a few weeks in the program, students should understand sailing upwind—“the hardest thing for kids to learn,” according to Schoch. Kids can then progress through other programs offered at both clubs, from Opti Development class, the next stage after learning to sail, where youth experience working as a twoperson team with another beginner, up to competitive racing programs for intermediate and advanced sailors. Beginning this year, middleschoolers who wish to learn to sail will have an improved vessel to help them on the waves. A Tera Boat—a plastic, single-person vessel recently purchased by the MPYC—is designed to help individuals experience the stages of sailing. “It was hard for middle-schoolers to get into sailing because there wasn’t a good on-ramp,” Schoch explains. “[The Tera Boat] will help our organization with filling that gap for promising sailors.” Schoch, a Southern California native, believes both the placement and the people on this part of the California coast provide an ideal place for kids to learn to sail. “Monterey is really unique because we are literally in open ocean. Campers can take up room and have the bay to learn for themselves,” he says. He adds the predictable winds and lack of fishing boats to avoid are perks for local instructors of beginners. “We get to focus on the kids and put all of our attention back into instructional time,” Schoch says. The supportive and experienced sailing community also provides an important asset for local junior sailMICHAEL FIALA 28 The Best of Monterey Bay ® family 2024-2025 Elkhorn_1-3h_FG23_KB.indd 1 3/20/24 12:03 PM
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==